Shoestring Marketing
Creative, budget-friendly ways to get your store noticed.
by Megy Karydes

While many people pull back on their marketing during tough economic times, experts warn that isn’t the way to go. They strongly advise increasing your marketing so customers continue to notice and buy from your business. Advising retailers to increase their marketing during hard economic times is easy, but following that sage advice takes courage when your sales are dropping and the future looks less than rosy.
 
Take heart. The experts are right. In good times and bad, you need to market, but keeping your business in front of potential buyers need not be so expensive that it drives you out of business. The following are some low-cost or free (yes, free!) marketing strategies you can begin today that will have an impact on your business immediately and help ensure its future success.

Get the media’s attention
Do you notice the media seems to favor some businesses, the ones you constantly see in the news? It’s no accident—that business probably has a consistent media strategy in place. A promotion-savvy company will aggressively put itself in front of media outlets with numerous press releases, product alerts, and newsworthy articles about their events.

• Compile a list of media outlets in your region and generate your own press release whenever you debut a new line, bring a new artist into your shop, or host a special event.
• Send your media list a tip sheet. A tip sheet is similar in format to its press release cousin but with a longer shelf life. Unlike a press release that gives information about your company or product, a tip sheet offers a list of tips or information nuggets in a bulleted or numbered list (like this one!). Print publications appreciate tip sheets because good ones are used for space fillers, and editors like them because they can be scanned quickly for information of interest to their readers or viewers.
• If you write well, write complete articles for your local community newspaper or trade publication. It not only affords your company visibility, but garners credibility in your community and among your peers. As more media outlets cut staff and use freelancers, you might find a receptive editor looking for someone just like you!
• Always have high-resolution images available—a picture can make your story pop!

Print and virtual marketing campaigns
Direct mail continues to work. Postcards, particularly, remain an effective marketing tool. And with the right printing company, they are cost-effective as well. Your printed pieces require careful thought to develop a powerful message. You don’t want to send out something that lack interest and excitement, so take your time.

• Keep your customer information in a database. This can be as easy as keeping names and contact information organized in an Excel spreadsheet.
• Find an inexpensive printing company locally with equipment that allows you to create your own customized postcard--you don’t need to be a graphic designer to create high quality, full-color pieces anymore!
• A business card can be more than a standard size with name, address, and contact information. Why not use the back of the card to give a better description of what you offer? Business cards can be bigger and even folded in half, like a mini-brochure for your business. And if you have a website, definitely put your web address prominently on your card.
• Email marketing is another cost-effective way to keep in contact with your customers. Email marketing services such as Constant Contact (www.constantcontact.com) allow you to send email newsletters for pennies. The service is user-friendly and offers a variety of templates from which to choose. You can easily upload email lists and photos and enter your text. It’s rare that an email doesn’t receive some type of business from it. By sending monthly emails to your customers, you’re keeping them informed of any new products and services and reminding them of  the products, services, and expertise you consistently offer.

Harness the power of the web
An Internet presence in this day and age is a must. If you’re not ready to manage a full-fledged website complete with images and e-commerce capability, invest in a simple brochure site with your company’s name, contact information, and a photo of your shop and products. You don’t want to lose a potential customer or client because they couldn’t locate you online. Also, most media outlets rely on online research—if you’re not on the web, you might as well not exist in their world.

• Consider a blog. A blog is an online journal or diary, a way for you to connect with your customers and let them know what’s going on in your world. Blogs also are excellent for low-key promotion of new products and events. Blogging is a great way to connect personally with your customers, and blogs are free when you use a service such as Blogger.com.

Special events and presentations
In a world where we often feel disconnected from others, events allow us to socialize with like-minded souls. If you have space in your store for a gathering, schedule a special event and invite your customers.
• If it’s too hard to group people in your space, partner with a local café or other complementary business on your block. You can invite your regular customers, and potential ones, too. And don’t forget to send your media list notice of your event.
• Offer to speak at potential clients’ events, such as local women’s groups, libraries, and college fairs. Even the most frightened public speakers become very comfortable speaking in front of large groups when they are talking about something they love.

The personal touch
Often, small gestures have a large effect.

• Send a thank-you card to a customer, a vendor, a media editor, or anyone you do business with. Because hardly anyone sends thank-you notes anymore, you will stand out for taking the time to craft and send one. Buy a beautiful set of note cards, pre-stamp them, and include your return mailing address. When you’re ready to write your thank you, you’ll have everything ready to mail it right then and there.
• Ask a customer if she would like to purchase a gift certificate at checkout when she is buying something else. We all have those friends and family members who are difficult to buy for. Most of us would be thrilled to give our hard-to-shop-for loved ones a gift certificate from a retail store we love to support. Gift certificates can be key to creating add-on sales and new customer interest. Your customer will thank you for making her next gift an easy one.

Marketing your business is an important part of your job as a retailer. All entrepreneurs must be able to communicate effectively, present a professional image to the public, promote their services, and reach their target demographic.
With a little preplanning and thought, marketing your business can be one of the most creative and rewarding activities you do for your business.

Megy Karydes is a Chicago-based freelance writer and marketing consultant. Find out more about her at www.karydesconsulting.com.